Come meet the author Zalika Reid-Benta in conversation with Lawrence Hill. Refreshments will be provided.

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Welcome to Gryphons Read!

Gryphons Read is a tradition at the University of Guelph, started by the well-known and well-loved author and U of G faculty, Lawrence Hill. Each year, a book that explores diverse identities and lived experiences, and is authored by a Canadian writer, is selected to be shared and read by the campus community. Gryphons Read hosts the author on campus for a few days in late September where they meet with students, staff, faculty, and community members in various classes and public events.

The 2025 Gryphons Read featured book is Frying Plantain by Zalika Reid-Benta. Zalika is a Toronto-based writer whose work explores identity, belonging, intergenerational relationships, and the Black diaspora, with a particular focus on Jamaican Canadian experiences. A graduate of the University of Toronto and Columbia University’s MFA program, she has been recognized as an important new voice in Canadian literature.

Her debut short story collection, Frying Plantain, published in 2019 is a powerful coming-of-age portrait of Kara, a young Black girl navigating life between two cultures in Toronto’s Eglinton West neighborhood. Praised for its vivid storytelling and emotional insight, Frying Plantain won the Danuta Gleed Literary Award, the Kobo Emerging Writer Prize, and was longlisted for the Giller Prize.

Her follow up novel River Mumma was a finalist for the 2024 Trillium Book Award and was listed as one of the best fiction books of 2023 on numerous platforms, including CBC Books. Zalika Reid-Benta has been celebrated for her fresh perspective and richly textured narratives that resonate with readers of all backgrounds.

Please join us on this evening to welcome Zalika to the University of Guelph community.

One Book. One Campus. One Community

Gryphons Read is made possible by generous funding from the Office of the Provost, and with support from the College of Arts, the Library, the Experiential Learning Hub.

Questions about the Gryphons Read program can be directed to gryphonsread@uoguelph.ca and please visit our Gryphons Read website.

Happy reading!